Kid-safe headphone maker ONANOFF launches new wireless ANC headset for grown ups

If you’ve heard of the ONANOFF brand, it’s probably due to its popular and well-reviewed safe headphones for kids, which include the SafeAudio, Cosmos or Buddyphones. But it’s capable of making pretty interesting stuff for grown-ups too, and the new FOKUS+ wireless headphones could be an interesting rival to the best wireless headphones from better known brands.

With a price tag of $199 / £159 the FOKUS+ headphones are up against some pretty hefty competition, such as the still-excellent Sony WH-1000XM4. But these headphones are more of a work pair than an out and about pair. They also look like they could be a good option for office or home workers and possibly gamers too.

ONANOFF FOKUS+: key features and specs

The most obvious feature of the FOKUS+ is the separate stand that comes with it, which has built-in wireless charging so your headphones are always ready to go. You won’t need it that often, though, because the manufacturer claims 50 hours of battery life between charges.

Undocking the headphones from the stand automatically powers them up and connects to your computer, which is a nice touch. There’s multi-point Bluetooth for connecting to two devices at once and with a range of 20m, a detachable boom mic for calls and an included hard case.

ONANOFF say that the FOKUS+ has hybrid ANC using multiple microphones, although it doesn’t go into detail beyond that. It’s likely to cope well with the background thrum of an open-plan office but probably won’t be up there with Sony’s all-conquering WH-1000XM5s, the current class leader.

We think those headphones are the best noise cancelling headphones for anyone looking for a more option thanks to serious improvements in how they handle and turn down high frequencies. But then, if you’re not leaving the office with them on then you don’t need that processing power. The FOKUS+ do have their own processing trick, though: it’s a vocal enhancer called FokusMode.

We haven’t tried or tested these headphones yet but we will very soon. It’ll also be interesting to compare the audio quality, which ONANOFF says is “exceptional”, and ANC with similarly priced rivals. Can the Fokus+ hang out with the big boys? Watch this space.

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